Episode 168: Malcolm Gladwell
Short Summary
Malcolm Gladwell is a writer and host of the podcast "Revisionist History."
Gladwell discusses his approach to public speaking, including the importance of authenticity and being able to connect with the audience.
He talks about how he finds and organizes stories for his books and podcasts, including how he stumbled upon a story about a would-be school shooter.
Gladwell discusses the importance of finding the right story and how he approaches the process of writing and revising.
He talks about his time at The New Yorker and how he learned to ask good questions.
Gladwell shares his thoughts on how to be successful as a writer and how to find one's voice.
He discusses the importance of research in his work and how he approaches learning new things.
Gladwell talks about the role of storytelling in his work and the importance of being able to explain complex ideas in a simple way.
He discusses the role of failure in his work and how he approaches difficult tasks.
Gladwell shares his thoughts on talent and natural ability and how they relate to success.
Long Summary
Malcolm Gladwell is an author and podcast host known for exploring topics such as how ideas spread and decision making
His five New York Times bestsellers include The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What the Dog Saw, and David and Goliath
He has been named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine
In his podcast, Revisionist History, Gladwell revisits aspects of history and how the passage of time changes our understanding of the world
In this interview, Gladwell and Tim Ferriss discuss Gladwell's research and writing process, how he learned to ask good questions, favorite books, routines, habits, and tools
They also discuss Gladwell's obsession with running and his habit of eating as little as possible in the morning
Gladwell talks about how he pulls together seemingly unrelated stories into a cohesive theme and eventually a book
They discuss his time at The New Yorker and his time as a teacher at the University of Toronto
Gladwell talks about his perspective on failure and how he approaches difficult tasks
Gladwell shares his thoughts on talent and natural ability and how they relate to success
Gladwell discusses his experience as a speaker and how he approaches public speaking
They talk about how Gladwell's perspective on ideas has changed over time and how he approaches the process of learning new things
Malcolm Gladwell is an author and podcast host known for exploring topics such as how ideas spread and decision making
His podcast, Revisionist History, revisits aspects of history and how the passage of time changes our understanding of the world
Gladwell discusses his research process, including how he finds stories and organizes his notes
He talks about how he stumbled upon the story of a would-be school shooter and how he approached the process of turning it into a chapter for his book
Gladwell discusses his favorite episode of Revisionist History, which features a 98-year-old Mennonite pastor
He talks about the importance of finding the right story and not screwing it up
Gladwell discusses his process for writing and revising, including the importance of being able to cut out unnecessary elements
He talks about the importance of having a clear theme and being able to explain complex ideas in a simple way
Gladwell discusses his time at The New Yorker and how he learned to ask good questions
He talks about the role of research in his work and how he approaches learning new things
Gladwell shares his thoughts on how to be successful as a writer and how to find one's voice
Malcolm Gladwell is an author and podcast host known for exploring topics such as how ideas spread and decision making
In this interview, Gladwell discusses his approach to public speaking, including the importance of authenticity and being able to connect with the audience
He talks about how he finds and organizes stories for his books and podcasts, including how he stumbled upon a story about a would-be school shooter
Gladwell discusses the importance of finding the right story and how he approaches the process of writing and revising
He talks about his time at The New Yorker and how he learned to ask good questions
Gladwell shares his thoughts on how to be successful as a writer and how to find one's voice
He discusses the importance of research in his work and how he approaches learning new things
Gladwell talks about the role of storytelling in his work and the importance of being able to explain complex ideas in a simple way
He discusses the role of failure in his work and how he approaches difficult tasks
Gladwell shares his thoughts on talent and natural ability and how they relate to success
Malcolm Gladwell is a writer and host of the podcast "Revisionist History."
Gladwell believes that revisiting past failures and experiences is important for self-reflection and growth.
Gladwell wakes up at 8:00 am, drinks Lapsang Souchong tea, eats a small amount of oatmeal, and visits three websites: Let's Run.com, New York Times, and BBC.
Gladwell's writing process involves gathering data and stories, then organizing them and filling in gaps.
Gladwell's most important chapter in "Outliers" was the first one, which had all the macro elements in the micro.
Gladwell's favorite episode of "Revisionist History" was about a 98-year-old Mennonite pastor in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, because it was pure and simple.
Gladwell's notes are organized through transcribing and indexing.
Gladwell's advice for public speaking is to strive for authenticity and to bridge the gap between the speaker and the audience.
Malcolm Gladwell believes authenticity is important in public speaking, but it can be difficult when he is an outsider to the audience's field
He writes one story per episode for his podcast and tries to bridge the gap between himself and the audience
Gladwell thinks revisiting past failures and reflecting on them is important for personal growth
He does not seek or give advice about career paths, and instead allows opportunities to come to him
Gaylin Rupp, an American runner, is successful by traditional metrics and also by creating beauty in his running
Running requires restraint, and Gladwell advises against perfectionism
Gladwell's favorite author is John McPhee because he writes about seemingly mundane topics in a way that makes them interesting
Gladwell's favorite interview question is asking about the most impressive person someone has ever met and why they were impressive
Gladwell thinks being curious is the most important trait for a journalist
Gladwell's favorite book is "To Kill a Mockingbird" because it deals with complex moral issues in a simple way
Malcolm Gladwell is a journalist and author
He has a morning routine that includes drinking a cup of Lapsang Souchong tea and eating half a cup of oatmeal
He is an obsessive runner and often visits the website Let's Run to stay up-to-date on the sport
Gladwell believes in ghosts and the phenomenon of identical twins
He is a fan of Brian Eno's music and finds the musician's speaking voice to be "awe inspiring"
Gladwell has a negative opinion of Peter Thiel and does not think that the entrepreneur's views align with his own
He thinks that human beings should try to focus on their flaws and work to improve them rather than focusing on their strengths
Gladwell believes that the concept of "success" is often overrated and that people should focus on finding satisfaction and happiness in their work and personal lives.
The podcast industry has grown significantly in recent years
The audio medium allows for strong emotional connections with listeners
Malcolm Gladwell may invite someone to join the "Revisionist History" podcast in the future
Gladwell is considering different formats for the podcast
Gladwell is interested in promoting track and field as a popular sport
Gladwell does not have any personal mantras or quotes that guide his life.